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Winstanley and York Redevelopment: proposal revealed next week

The ‘preferred option’ for improving the Winstanley and York Road estates will be on display at York Gardens Library in early February. The exhibitions will present the development option which received the greatest level of local support and will show how residents’ feedback has been used to develop the design.

The exhibitions will be at York Gardens Library on:

Saturday, 8 February: 12pm to 3pm

Monday, 10 February: 5pm to 8pm

Wednesday, 12 February: 10am to 1pm

During October and November 2013, the Council has presented four different improvement proposals for the Winstanley and York Road estates and asked for views on their relative pros and cons.

Some issues on the consultation responses

Without knowing what will be the preferred option displayed next week, we know that the council wrote that “exhibitions will present the development option which received the greatest level of local support“. On the exhibition on 23rd November 2013, they showed that Option 3 (greater change) was supported by 56% of respondents (15% for option 2, 13% for option 1 and 125 for only refurbishment).

“There are some residents in Ganley Court who are dead-set against the regeneration. Indeed even if you give them what their three bedroom house with a garden five minutes from Clapham Junction is now worth, they simply won’t be able to buy another similar property in the area“.

Station piazza, amount offered to home owners, level of social housing… those are some issues that the plan needs to address

Is station piazza plan considered for tall buildings?

Although the Council focuses currently solely on the residents of the Winstanley and York estates, their plan includes for each option the same redevelopment of the area near Falcon bridge. And no notice of consultation has been sent to residents living outside of the estates.

Again, local residents that have continuously expressed their dislike of tall buildings around Clapham Junction seem to be ignored.

Amount offered to home owners is not enough to relocate in the area

Council tenants will be offered an alternative home on a social rent within the new development or in the local area. Resident leaseholders and freeholders will be offered the market value of your property, plus 10% (or 7.5% if they are not residents). More information on this page.

However, if you take the example of Ganley Court, the owners of houses who could be offered about £300k for their properties, will not be able to buy any 2/3 bedroom house/flat for that amount in the area (a 2 bed-flat example here for sale at £725k) and would have to leave Clapham Junction or forced to take on additional mortgage. As one resident said, being ill and 70 year old make it impossible for him to get a mortgage.

Everyone should be entitled to a fair deal. If they have to leave their property in order to allow the redevelopment, they should be able to be able to reallocate nearby. with a similar standard of living. The much needed estate regeneration shouldn’t be made at the expense of the private owners who have lived in the community for a while.

What will be the level of social houses when finished?

Another concern is the level of social housing that will be allocated to the redevelopment. At the moment, the council has got about 700 social dwellings which are proposed to be demolished. With the developers planning to build up to 2000 units, what will be the final quota?

If the developers stick to the 30% level of affordable accommodation, they do not need to provide a single extra social unit after redevelopment. While Wandsworth is desperately needing more social homes, is it the solution in favour by the Council?

What community infrastructure?

A new leisure centre is planned within the redevelopment. However we have been told that at the same time, the current leisure centre located the other side of Plough road could be demolished and redeveloped as residential.

If this is the case, the other leisure centre should be included in the economic viability calculation of the overall plan.

We need to have all those concerns in mind when we go to visit the exhibition and talk to the team in charge of the redevelopment plan.

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Maltese Connection

Clapham Junction is a prehistoric site on Malta near the Dingli Cliffs. It is a complex network of tracks gouged in the rock. Its age and purpose are still a mystery of Maltese history. Beside the megalithic temples it is the most mysterious artefact on Malta.
It is reported that the name "Clapham Junction" was given by an Englishman, who later reported that it reminded him of the great and busy railway station Clapham Junction in London.

Platform 1

Wheelchair users are advised that they should allow an hour for transfer between platforms at Clapham Junction.

Gay Life on TV

Clapham Junction is a 2007 British television film, written by Kevin Elyot, about the experiences of gay men during 36 hours in the Clapham area of London and the consequences when their lives collide. It was broadcast on Channel 4 in July 2007.
The drama was shown as part of a short season by Channel 4 to mark the 40th anniversary of decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.